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Ukraine's Yanukovich, opposition agree to scrap some anti-protest laws

28 January 2014 04:41 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich agreed in talks with opposition leaders to the repeal of some anti-protest laws and to discuss the fate of the current government at a crunch session of parliament on Tuesday, called to end two months of unrest against his rule, APA reports quoting Reuters.

But former Economy Minister Arseny Yatsenyuk, now a leader of the opposition, refused his offer of the prime minister's job, setting the scene for a tough political battle in parliament over opposition demands for concessions, including an amnesty for detained protesters.

There was no mention of any declaration of a state of emergency - something that Yanukovich's Cabinet ministers threatened to call for on Monday to re-establish control over the security situation in the country, where protesters are seizing public buildings.

Talk of a state of emergency being declared in the former Soviet republic of 46 million made the European Union's foreign policy chief, Catherine Ashton, hastily move up a visit to Kiev on Tuesday.

U.S. Vice President Joe Biden called Yanukovich on Monday to urge the government not to declare a state of emergency and to work with the opposition to bring a peaceful end to unrest.

"(Biden) underscored that the U.S. condemns the use of violence by any side, and warned that declaring a State of Emergency or enacting other harsh security measures would further inflame the situation and close the space for a peaceful resolution," the White House said.

After a four-hour meeting, Yanukovich's justice minister, who was at the talks with opposition figures, said they agreed to scrap parts of an anti-protest law 10 days ago that triggered violent protests from activists.

The minister, Olena Lukash, was quoted on the presidential website as saying the question of the government's "responsibility" would be discussed in parliament on Tuesday, suggesting there could be a vote of no-confidence in Mykola Azarov's government as a concession to the opposition.

But she said Yatsenyuk, one of a "troika" of opposition leaders, had formally refused to accept the prime minister's post offered to him by Yanukovich over the weekend.

Yanukovich triggered the upheaval in the sprawling country in November when he abruptly abandoned plans to sign association and free trade deals with the European Union. He opted instead to tighten economic ties with former Soviet master Russia, angering millions who dream of a European future.

The protest movement has since turned into a mass demonstration, punctuated by clashes with police, against perceived misrule and corruption under Yanukovich's leadership.

Several hundred people camp round-the-clock on Kiev's Independence Square and along an adjoining thoroughfare, while more radical protesters confront police lines at Dynamo football stadium some distance away.

Opposition leaders, who include boxer-turned-politician Vitaly Klitschko and nationalist Oleh Tyahnibok, have been pressing Yanukovich to repeal fully the anti-protest laws, dismiss the Azarov government and call early elections.

Yatsenyuk's refusal to accept the position of prime minister confirmed that the opposition regarded Yanukovich's offer as a trap that could divide them and undermine their credibility before the thousands of protesters on Kiev's streets.

Another battle lies ahead over protesters detained during the unrest. The Yanukovich side said these would be pardoned, but only once protesters had ended their occupation of public buildings and blockade of roads.

Yanukovich's Party of the Regions and its allies hold a majority in the Ukrainian parliament and pressure from the president and his aides behind the scenes can easily swing a vote the way he wants it to go.

But given the complexity of protesters' grievances and the anger on the streets, it seemed unlikely a clear-cut solution would emerge on Tuesday.

Six people have been killed in the unprecedented violence in Kiev that has set Russia and the West at loggerheads over the fate of the former Soviet republic.

Earlier, Lukash herself raised tensions by warning she would press for a state of emergency if protesters did not vacate a Justice Ministry building they had occupied overnight.

The protesters left the premises after several hours, but said they would return if there was no progress in parliament on Tuesday.